The Attempted Escape of Six Convict from Sing Sing.; SKETCH OF THE RINGLEADER AND HIS EXPLOITS THE LIFE OF A KEEPER THREATENED.

In Thursday's edition we published a telegraphic dispatch from Sing Sing, giving an account of an attempted escape of six convicts from the prison on Wednesday night, and the shooting of one of the party by the guard. The following account is taken from the report of Mr. B.F. GULICK, the principal keeper of the prison:

WEDNESDAY, July 18, 1860.

Opened prison at 6 A.M. Keepers STEWART, NOBLE, CROFECT, OLMSTEAD, were absent. The agent, Mr. BEARDSLEY, took an early train for Albany. Everything was usually quiet through the day, until about 4:15 o'clock, P.M., when an alarm was given, and it was found that six convicts had passed the guard, between Posts Nos. 6 and 7. WM. MEALING, a guard, was stationed at Post No. 7, and ISAAC SARLES, a guard, was stationed on Post No. 6. The convicts names were Henry Thompson, George Mairnaim, alias Christian Bechstein, Albert Shrader, John Mix, Charles Miller, and John Rham. They were employed in the quarry, under the immediate charge of Keepers CHAS. HARFORD and NICHOLAS MILLER. The men wore fired upon by both MEALING and SARLES, without effect. SARLES reloaded his carbine and fired the second time, killing JOHN RHAM, the ball taking effect in his head. It is supposed that he died instantly. The other five men were pursued by both citizens and officers, and were all captured and returned to the prison before sundown. The officers and citizens who pursued and captured them, as well as those officers who remained and closed the prison, are entitled to much credit for their persevering and successful efforts.

Some of the escaped convicts are men of desperate character, and I have no doubt but that all of them are of like nature, though little is known of their antecedents. GEORGE MAIRNAIM, alias BEEKSTEIN is one of the most noted desperadoes and criminals known in the country, and it is no even thing when an officer stakes his life against a wretch like him. The odds are too great to encounter, his life being worse than worthless. All of these men were armed with deadly weapons, such as hand-drills and knives, evidently prepared to resist arrest, with desperation, even to the sacrifice of the life of any one who might make the attempt. Said GEORGE MAIRNAIM tried with desperation of purpose to use his weapons, and after being disarmed, again made several attempts to avenge himself upon his captors, and did not desist until he was made insensible from the effects of the blows he received.

When the prisoners were discovered by the guards attempting to pass the guard-houses, their intention was not at first even suspected. They were at work in the quarry, and were some distance from the guards when two walked quietly off in the direction of the hospital, another took a pail and made a pretence of fetching water, and a moment more no less than six were making their way between the guard posts. The order of "halt" showed that they were discovered, and each one started on a run.

RHAM was no doubt instantly killed, as persons who arrived at the spot a moment after found him quite dead. The body was taken up and conveyed into the office, when Coroner GRIFFIN was notified to hold an inquest upon it. This was done the same evening. Several witnesses, who saw the whole of the affair, gave their testimony, and the verdict, in substance, charged the killing to a gun-shot wound caused by the hand of ISAAC SARLES, while in the discharge of his duty, and was perfectly justifiable. The body of RAHM was buried in the convict's burying ground, near the prison, yesterday morning. He was about 32 years of age.

MAIRNAIM was at the bottom of the whole affair and incited the other convicts to the attempt. On searching him a knife was found upon him. It had formerly been a stout dinner knife, and was purloined by him for the purpose of using it, in any case of emergency. The blade was about five inches in length and one wide, and was formed into a dagger -- shaped point, sharpened on both edges -- a formidable weapon in the hands of a desperate man. Mr. BEARDSLEY informed our Reporter that sometimes no less than eight or ten knives will be missed at a time, after the convicts have been to dinner. The injuries which this prisoner received while resisting the guards who captured him, are of quite a serious nature. They are all now confined in dark cells. MAIRNAIM is perhaps the most desperate criminal that ever entered the Sing Sing Prison. He is now serving his fifth term. A few of his exploits are well worth relating.

While serving out his third term, and when within a short time of his dismissal, he persuaded a convict named JOHN ALGIER, a Frenchman, to hide away under the boards of the cabinet-shop of Mr. WOODRUFF, at which shop they were then employed, promising to come and liberate him on the night of his discharge. The Frenchman, who had but just been committed, had six years to serve before the expiration of his term, and gladly embraced the liberal offer of his fellow-convict, when a board was at once forced from the floor and ALGIER laid himself between the timbers, when MAIRNAIM nailed the board in its place, leaving the poor Frenchman so closely boxed up that he was compelled to lie in one position, and was scarcely able to move hand or foot. ALGIER not returning to supper, a search was made, but without success. An extra guard was then appointed to watch for the night, so that it would be impossible for a prisoner to pass them, and on the following day the search was renewed, but without success. In the morning MAIRNAIM had been dismissed, his term having expired. At night the same vigilant watch was kept, but still no signs of the missing convict, On the third day, about the same time that the poor fellow had been thus entombed, he was found. The principal keeper fancying that he might have been hidden away under the floor, ordered the boards to be removed, and ALGIER was discovered in a horrible state. There he had been for three days and two nights, without a morsel to eat, forced to lie in one position during the whole of that time, barely existing upon the air which was admitted through the chinks of the nailed down board. He presented a pitiable sight, and was more dead than alive; his reason had fled, and he had to be taken to a lunatic asylum, where he still remains.

Another time, when this convict's time had nearly expired, he learned the following, which he profited by: A lad about 18 years of age, who worked in the same shop with him, was visited every three months by his mother. The time approached when he expected her, and he would occasionally converse with MAIRNAIM on the subject, and state how happy he felt in looking forward to the time when his mother would come to see him. The former acted in a benevolent manner, and, by appearing to take a deep interest in the boy's welfare, by a few questions soon found out where his mother lived. On being dismissed, his term having expired, he started for this City, and went straight to the house of the mother, (a widow,) and represented himself as the foreman of the file-shop where her son worked, and that, having taken a great interest in him, he had called, at his request, to give his love to her, and see how she was. The poor woman was overwhelmed by the kindness of the gentleman who had taken such interest in her poor convict boy, and showed her gratitude in thanks and tears, stating that a week from that day the three months would expire since the last visit, and that she would soon see him again. MAIRNAIM rose to go, and remarked that if she had anything to send he would gladly give it to him. The purse of the mother, containing every cent of her hard earnings, passed like magic from her hand to that of the hardened villain, with a request that he would purchase for the boy all be wanted. A week after, the mother and son met in the office of the prison, when the visit of the kind-hearted foreman was mentioned, much to the astonishment of the boy, who had not noticed any difference in the behavior of the foreman. On mentioning the circumstance to the latter, the whole was explained by the description of MAIRNAIM given by the woman.

While our Reporter was writing the above in the office of the prison, Mr. SARLES, the guard who shot RHAMS, entered, and requested Mr. BEARDSLEY, the Warden, to furnish him with a pistol, as some of the convicts had threatened to take his life.

We are continually improving the quality of our text archives. Please send feedback, error reports,
and suggestions to archive_feedback@nytimes.com.

A version of this archives appears in print on July 21, 1860, on Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: The Attempted Escape of Six Convict from Sing Sing.; SKETCH OF THE RINGLEADER AND HIS EXPLOITS THE LIFE OF A KEEPER THREATENED. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe